The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-08

at his headquarters. With assumption
to know not only the acts bat motives
OF men, some of but brief acquaintance,
and others only heard Of, he decides
not only the character of the war be-
tween the States, but what should
have been the political course OF the
Southern people.
Having turned loose his imagination,
free from the restraint of historical
facts, he tw cps the whole field in the
following paragraph:
Like all men, Lee had his faults; like sill
the greatest OF Generals, he sometimss made
mistakes. His nature shrank with such hor
ror from the dread Of wounding the feelings
positions Of responsibility to which their
abilities were not equal. This softness Of
heart, amiable as that quality may be.
AMOUNTS to a crime ~ the man intrusted
with the dir ction OF public affairs at critical
moments. Lees devotion to d-ty and great
respect for obedience seem at times TO have
made him too subservient TO those charged
with the civil goyernmen of his country. He
whom the Confederate Constitution made
| his superiors, although he must have known
them to be entirely ignorant of the science
of war. He appears to have forgotten that he
Wub tuo BEobb CuNcI tUKHRoQ
| in great revolutionary war; that he was
| no mere leader in a political struggle of
parties carried on within the lines Of an old.
well established form OF government. II
be commonly Acknowledged now, that the
South could only hope 70 win under the rue
Of military Dictator. If sen. Washington
had had Mr.. Davis over him, could be
have accomplished what he aid? 1t will, l
am sure. be news to many that Gen. Lee was
given the commsnd over all the Con ederate
armies month or two only before the final
collapse, and that the military pelicy OF tho
south was all throughout the war dictated by
Mr.. Davis, as President Of the Confederate
states Lee had no power to reward soldiers
or pro mote officers. 1t was Mr.. Davis who
selected men to command divisions and ar
mics"
If it be a psychological reflection,
the announcement that no man 10 psr-
feet is more grave than novel; or, If 1t
be regarded ia a military sense, still it
is not quite new, ss Marshal SAKE in
the long, long ago is reported to have
said that the general who bad made no
mistake must have made few cam
paigns.
In what, it is asked, consisted the
criminslity imputed to Lee? II he
was ia no way responsible for the Sc
lection aDd promotion OF the general
officers, and had no power to Pecurs
the removal of incompetent officers,
what was his crime? Did any csse
ever occur where his recommendation
for promotion was disregarded, or his
request for the removal of q subordi-
nate was refused? If none, and be-
lieve there was none, then the COM
plant is csusele and lever could
have had its origin in words spoken
by Lee.
The idea that ours was great
revolutionary war" must be attributed
TO the want OF political information,
more excussble in a foreigner than in
a native, and the conclusion that we
should have had military dictator"
is even worse than the premise. The
moet cursory observation might have
taught an intelligent visitor that the
States had old, we'll established forms
| of government, and that the Southern
people had confedtratsd to defend
their community independ snca and
inherited rights Of pereon and proper
ty. Gould anything, to the svsrsl g
Euglish mind, be more absurd than
the superstition that men inspired
with the determination to stake their
all in defense OF such rjghts, would
| have commend the struggle by
thro wing away their trusty law shield
and submitting entirely TO the will of
dictator--would fly to despotism as
a refuge from possible conqu est?
II proposition may bs considered,
after deciding 1t to be absurd, ! will
say in addition that no aa among US
wko could have been thought worthy
Of such trust, by any large number
of nnr people, could nave been 30 re-
crent to principle IS 10 accept the
off to re'gn supreme over the pros
trate liberty of his country men.
The hypothetical illustration of Gen.
Washing on with Mr.. Davis over
him, together with the mater which
Immediately precedes and follows, dis
timely presents t. the reader as facts
that the wa between the States was q
revolutionary wsr, quite like that of
the Colonies against q eat Britain that
Gen. Washington had dictator al pow
er, and that his army was free from
any control by civil authorities; each
position is untrue and the representa-
lion inexcusable in one appearing as
a writer on Confederate affairs. At a
period of create, depression the Cou-
gtess Of the Oonfedeiation did invest
Gen. Washington with extraordinary
powers; they were not, however,
plenary, but distinctly enumerated,
given only for brief period.
If Gen. Wolseley, by the latter part
of the paragraph quo ed above, mt ans
to state that "a month or two dolly BE-
fore tbs collapse" Gen. Lee was given
ton of the military policy of the Con-
fedeIaey, the reward OF eoiGiers and
the promotion of officers, am one of
many TO whom it would be news
if it were fact. The general super
vieion al q direction Of all our arm es
was assigned 60 Gen. Lee by Resident
Davis in tie first year Of the war. His
Office YVES in Richmond, aud he con.
tinued, under executive utdority long
aud usefully to discharge that duty.
After the battle Of Seven Pines Gen.
Lee was ordered to the field and to the
immediate command oil the Army of
Virginia, then confronting the enemy
on the Chickahominy. The successes
of our arms in t. Q seven days battles
fulfilled my expectations OF Lee, and
ecured for him the confidence Uf the
people and the devoted love and sd-
mirstion of his army.
This habitusl thoroughness with
which Gen. Lee discharged every
duty, and his exact knowledge Of the
functions OF every man in his army,
whether Of the line OF the staff, led
him to give minu'e attention TO every
detail, For example, he fcuud the
tenmgte's were feeding their horses
on the ground, and he ordered boxes
to be furnished in which the horses
ehnuld he fed.
To such commander The admins.
tTation Of the affaiFs OF en- army sre
necessarily absorbing. After time
Gen. Lee requested that he should
either be relieved from the imme diste
command Of the army of Virginia, or
of the general direction of our armies.
/ was reluctant to do either, but
yielded to hie reiterated request by